1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a PDP having an improved electrode structure that may permit the electrode to more firmly adhere to a substrate.
2. Discussion of the Background
Generally, applying a discharge voltage to a pair of PDP sustain electrodes generates a gas discharge, which emits ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet rays excite a fluorescent layer, which emits visible light that forms an image.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional PDP.
Referring to FIG. 1, the PDP 10 includes an upper substrate 11 facing a lower substrate 21. The substrates are substantially parallel to each other.
Pairs of sustain electrodes 31 comprising an X electrode 32 and a Y electrode 35 separated from each other by a discharge gap, may be formed on a lower surface of the upper substrate 11. The X electrode 32 may act as a common electrode, and the Y electrode 35 may act as a scan electrode.
The X and Y electrodes 32 and 35 may include transparent electrodes 33 and 36 and bus electrodes 34 and 37, respectively. The bus electrodes 34 and 37 may be formed along edges of the transparent electrodes 33 and 36 to apply voltages to the transparent electrodes 33 and 36. An upper dielectric layer 12 covers the pairs of sustain electrodes 31, and a protective layer 13 covers the upper dielectric layer 12.
Address electrodes 22 may be formed on the lower substrate 21 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the sustain electrode pairs 31. An intersection of an address electrode 22 and a sustain electrode pair 31 corresponds to a sub-pixel.
A lower dielectric layer 23 may cover the address electrodes 22. Stripe-shaped barrier ribs 24 may be formed on an upper surface of the lower dielectric layer 23 to define discharge regions 25. A phosphor layer 26 is formed in the discharge regions 25, and a discharge gas is filled in the discharge regions 25.
The PDP 10 having the above structure may operate as follows.
Applying an address discharge voltage between an address electrode 22 and a Y electrode 35 generates an address discharge in a sub-pixel, thereby forming wall charges in the addressed sub-pixel. Next, applying a sustain discharge voltage between the X electrode 32 and the Y electrode 35 of the addressed sub-pixel generates a sustain discharge. The electric charges generated by the sustain discharge collide with the discharge gas, thereby generating plasma, which emits ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet rays excite the phosphor layer 26 to emit visible light, thereby displaying an image.
Referring to FIG. 2, the X and Y electrodes 32 and 35 may extend from left and right hand sides of the PDP, and they are alternately arranged in a row direction. The X electrodes 32 extend from the terminal area T to the display area D, and they may be connected to an X electrode driving unit through a connection member (not shown). The Y electrodes 35 extend from the terminal area T to the display area D, and they may be connected to a Y electrode driving unit through a connection member (not shown). Thus, the X and Y electrode driving units may apply voltages to the X and Y electrodes 32 and 35, respectively.
Generally, a plurality of connection members may be connected to the X electrodes 32, but there are fewer connection members than X electrodes 32. Similarly, a plurality of connection members may be connected to the Y electrodes 35, but there are fewer connection members than Y electrodes 35. Accordingly, a plurality of X electrodes 32 may be connected to one connection member, and a plurality of Y electrodes 35 may be connected to one connection member.
In more detail, referring to FIG. 3, terminal portions 34b and 37b of the bus electrodes 34 and 37 may be connected to the connection members. The pitch between terminal portions 34b and 37b should be less than the pitch between the bus electrodes' discharge portions 34a and 37a, to which the transparent electrodes 33 and 36 are connected, to ensure margins that do not generate interference between connection members. Thus, connection portions 34c and 37c formed between the discharge portions 34a and 37a and the terminal portions 34b and 37b may be straight at the connection member's center, but most of the connection portions 34c and 37c are slanted, as shown in FIG. 3.
Generally, the bus electrodes 34 and 37 may be applied as a paste and then dried and baked. However, the junctures of the slanted connection portions 34c and 37c and the discharge portions 34a and 37a, and the junctures of the slanted connection portions 34c and 37c and the terminal portions 34b and 37b, are bent. Thus, these junctures may be heated more than any other elements in the baking process, which may occur at more than 400° C. Accordingly, the junctures may lift off of the upper substrate 11. If the junctures lift off too much, they may cause shorts from the connection portions 34c and 37c or the terminal portions 34b and 37b of adjacent bus electrodes 34 and 37.